Vehicle wheel



May 8, 1923.;

B. B- LORENZ.

VEHICLE WHEEL Filed lan. 4, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 wwwww E rmi EiLn Giro-cue [IF I May 8, 1923. 1,454,122

B. B. LORENZ VEHICLE WHEEL Filed Jan. 4', 1922 a Sheets-Sheet s EJ PDTLELLUTEHZ Patented May 8, i923. I

" VEHICLE HEEL Application fileeianuary i, 19221; serialNo. 5373102.

To (ill whom (it concern,

. This invention relates to vehicle wheels-of theliesili ent type, and theprimaryobjec't of the present invention is to provide a novel wheelembodying' coil springs for absorblng shock and} for supporting the vehicle body," thereby eliminating the necessity of providf V 16 mg pneumatic tires, the disadvantages ofwhich arelonly too well known tothe auto mobiletra'de,

Further objects of the invention; are first; v the provision. of, a nov'el arrangement of 20 springs in the Wheel forpermitting the weight, of the vehicle to be supported in an advantageousmanner; second, a novel means forconnecting the springs in position sothat the springs maybereadily set in-place; and, the tension thereof adjusted, ,1' third, a

novel; hub, and a novel felly construction;

7 andf forth, novel thrust platescarriedby the hub constructionfor engaging the housingplates carried'by the felly construction;

further object of, the invention is the" provision. of means for connecting the parts of the wheel together, so that lubricating .Oil', i,

can ,be placed within the wheel forefiectively;

lubricating the various parts thereof with out the likelihood of the oil seepingoutof the wheell, i

. A still further object of the'invention is the provision off'an improved spring Wheel o fgthe above character which will be'jdurable and efficient in use, one that'will' be and easytomanufacture, and'onejwhich can be placed. uponthe market at a reasonable cost.

Withthese and other, object view, the

- invention consists in the novel construction,

arrangement andf vrmation of parts, as will behereinafter more specifically described, claimed and illustrated. in the accompanying drawings forming apart of this specifica tion, in which drawings I F.i urewl isan elevation ofthe improved whee parts thereof beingflbroken away to illustrate the shock absorbing and weight supporting springs therein,

V higureflis a, diamet'ric section, through construction; andEf-andlFthe noveFth st" a purpose Which will" heg alsof hereinafter I p r theWheel,takenfon the line%2+2 ofiFigure li 2 f Be it' knownthat I, BYRON BQLOREnZ, a citizen of the United States'reSidingat.(lape Girardeau, in the countfy of Cape Gr'irardeau 6 I and State of Missouri, have; invented certain V new andiuseful Improvements in Vehicle Wheels, of which the following is 'aspeci "Figure 3 is an enlargedi fi'agmentary se .ti'onahvieWthrough a;portionofthewhe I- i y illustratingtherneans ofv oonne ct'iiig f th 1 shock I absorbing and, springs in" position;

struction, andii Figurej5 construction." v p c. I R ferring to the drawingflsiiiidel in similar-reference characters'desi gnate cm:- 051.

responding parts througli'outfl the several v-lews,thej letter A indicates the"huh;of the" wheel; B,- the felly; of thewlieel novei rneans' for connecting the v coir-xstruction"v A with n the construction D; the housing plates;cjarrie'dxbyfthe plates, carried the hub constructio shaped'body lOfhaving a taperedhore" II ex I i 'tending}concentrically therethrough foriftligi reception of the usualaxle end." igrheya'x end may be secured to; the i ib" ifjtheg axle is off the drive orflive type" 'ormthe l -lib? be. rotatablyfmou'ntedup the axle 'nd 'f thesa'rne is ofiithesmmnary; or.,'dea Thefo'uter; end of the conical, shaped. b k lQis gradually fleredioutwardly or. increase in diameter tow rd its outer endjto-provide a wide bearingface12', thev purposes of fwhi'c'h will be hereinafterfiiniore fully: described: On eachside; of the, transverse: centers oftlie body orimember. lOfiis, provided an; annular:

row of internally; threaded;nippleglfigmhkfi are inclined ,imvardly'toward eaclhotherg lforf r'noreii'ulllv.described;- I v. A

Th'felly-B isprei'erably formedofmetel, such: as steellor the like; and lililiidesfan' annular, bandflfilfwhi'ch"is adeptedlt ol sur} g round the hub construction A 1andtlie'per o riphei v of "they bandllfi'atitscircumferential edgesis provided with outwardly extending tires reta-ining flanges ,l6," betw een ,whi'ch fth'e v ti'rev1'7is ,adaptedltoseat; The tireir may ble'ofanypreferredcharactemandass I i is, iior nedf of" solid. rubber; I 1 som 1n stances, such vas iii the use prism, Ina-.1 chinery and tractors, meta-llict'ii es be 'BYRoN-B. 10mm, or CAPEVGIRARfiEAfi, M ssions;

more advantageous than rubber tires. The inner face of the felly has formed thereon on each side of the circumferential center thereof, an annular row of internally thread ed nipples 18. These nipples 18 extend at an angle inwardly toward each other and .it can be seen by referring to Figure 2 of the drawings that the nipples 18carried by the felly "B and disposed on one side of the circumferential center. thereof are in direct alignment with the nipples 18 formed on the opposite side of the central portion of the hub construction A. The nipples 18. are

' preferably extended beyond the outer face 15 or periphery of the felly B as at 19, so that a relatively long nipplewill be formed and so, that projec'tionswill be made on the pe riphery ofthe felly in'order to'prevent circumferential creeping of the tire 17 thereon. Seats 20 may be made in the inner surface of the tire. for the reception of the projecting portions 19 of the nipples 18.

The inner face-of the felly B is provided with inwardly extending annularattaching ;tending retaining hooks 26 and 27. These retaining hooksl26 and 27 are constructed substantially the same and each includes a socketor head 28 and arms 29, which ter in'inate in outwardly extending ears 80, which'are adapted to engage the opposite terminals of the spring 25. The sockets or heads 28 of the spring'retainers 26 and 27' havethe threadedshanks of the eye bolts 31 and 32fdisposed therein and suitable nuts 7 $8"v are threaded on these shanks for holding the eye bolts in position. It can be seen that the eye boltscan be adjusted longitudinally of thespring retainers by said nuts. The eye bolts 31 and 32 are in turn connected with suitable eye bolts 33 and 34, the shanks of which are threaded and fitted respectively in the nipples 13' and 18. Each alternate spring is inclined in the same direction and adjacent springs are inclined in opposite directions, as clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. These springs cross each other, which permits a greater number of the springs to be, incorporated in the wheel and which tends to eliminate the side thrust in the wheel Thus it can be seen that if an eye bolt 34 is connected in a nipple 18 disposed on one side of the circumferential center of the felly, its companion eye bolt 33 is connected to a nipple 13 carried bythehub disposed on the other central side of the hub.

Housing plates D forthe wheel consistsof an outer circular plate 40, the periphery of which may be'connected by cap screws 41 to the outer attaching or retaining flange 21.

The axial center of the plate 40 is'provided withan outwardly extending annular flange 42 to which may be connectecl'asuitable hub cap 43. An annular plate 44 is carried by the opposite edge of the felly B and is sereception of the packing gasket 47 the purpose cf. which will also be hereinafter more fully described. y Y

The thrust plates E and are adapted engage respectively the housing plate40 and the annular plate 44 and the plateE is s'e-v. 85 i cured by suitable cap screws 47 to theout-er end of the hub A and is preferably cut out atdifferent pointsyasf at 48 so asfto lighten the, weight thereof and if deslred radially, extending reinforcing ribs 49 can beprovided so as to add rigidity to this thrust plate. This plate ordisc E engages a relatively large area of the. housing "plate 40. and the thrust .of the hub A; willbe trans mitted to said housing plate 40 I The inneredge of the hub A supports'the thrust plate F which has a relatively greater diameter than they thrust plate E and the outer edge thereof'may havefformed there.- in a suitable pocket 50 for the receptlonof packing 51.. This thrust plate engages the inner face of the housing: plate 44'and anyend thrust 'ofthe hub A will be trans mitted to the said housing plate 44 and then to the felly. This plate F. is: adapted to be connected to the hub A by suitable cap screws 52 and if the wheel is of a drive'type, a brake drum '54 can be-connected to the hub Aby the same cap bolts 52. Small cap bolts 55 can also be utilized for connecting the brake drum in position. The inner edgeof 'the hub is preferably provided with an'outwardly extending annular attaching flange {56 for the reception of-the cap bolts 55 as can befclearly seenby-referenceto Figure 2 ofthe drawings.

i In order to, prevent free movement of the thrust plates E and F in-relation to the housing plates 40 and 44 and to permit the thorough lubrication of the spring-connecting' means C, thewheel is adapted to be of the gaskets 46 and 51 will prevent the leakage of oil from out of the wheel. The oil can be introduced in the wheel through the openings 48, provided for permitting the lighteningof the wheel. the springs to the wheel, the same are first compressed in a vice or the like and held in a compressed position by a Wire or the In applying Y iso filled ,or partially filled with some good grade of lubricating oil and the provision V are then removed from the springs 25, which permit the same to resume, their normal like The hooks or spring retainers 26 and with the eye bolts 33 and 34. The wires position. i 3 g The arrangement of'the springs permits a relatively large'number thereof to help support'the load, and these springs will tend to. absorb shock, and effectively tend to 'prevent the transmission of shock to the vehicle body.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that, an improved resilient wheel has been provided which will resiliently su port the load and prevent transmission of shock to the vehicle, thereby eliminating the necessity for the wheel. v Changes in details may bemade without departing from the spirit'or scope of this invention; but,

1. In a resilient wheel, a hub, a felly sur rounding the hub having attaching flanges of providing pneumatic tires a bolts adjustably fitted within all of the socka ets spring retaining members extending through said springs and engaging the OpQq of and extending inwardly towardsaid hub,

and outwardly extending retaining flanges the felly, a tire disposedfon the outer face :of the felly between saidretainin'g flanges,

inwardly extending attaching plates secured; a to the attaching flanges, thrust disc's se-' v cured to the opposite fa'cesof, the hub-for engaging the inner face of {the housing Y 3 plates, one of-said thrust discsbeing formed a relatively larger than the other, and resilient means for connecting thefelly with: t-heyhilbf I" 1- and'disposed between said thrustdiscsjand said housing plates.

2; In a resilient wheel, a hub havinga row of retaining sockets formed on each .i side of the circumferential center'thereof, "a felly surrounding the hub having a row-of a inclined retaining sockets formed on the opt-1; i

posite sides of the circumferential center thereof, oppositely inclined coil springs, eye

formed integ'rallyon theopposite, faces of Y posite terminals thereof, I and adjustable members carried by the free terminalsv of members andengagingi Q a I said adjustable eye bolts. i formed integral with theside edges therei the spring retaining BYRON BQLQRENZ. 

